Omar Thomas: Two Trips Left, But Where Will He Go
Omar Thomas, a crafty 6-5, 190 pound small forward from Panola College in Carthage, Tex., has taken a string of official visits over the past three weekends.
The question now looms, where will Thomas go on his final two alloted official visits this spring?
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JUCO Junction caught up with Panola Head Coach Scott Monarch on Tuesday night, and he informed us that Thomas visited Texas El Paso (Apr. 11-13), Murray State (Apr. 18-20) and Southern Mississippi (Apr. 25-27) this month.
A trio of schools are in the mix for Thomas' final two trips. One school, the University of Dayton, will definitely be receiving a visit from Thomas in May, Monarch said.
In fact, new Dayton Head Coach Scott Monarch was down in Carthage on Tuesday, Apr. 29 to meet with Thomas at Panola.
"They really like him," Monarch said. "You have to see him to appreciate him."
"He gets a lot done," Monarch continued. "He could step in and get the job done wherever he goes."
Thomas, a native of Philadelphia, Penn., averaged 36 points and 17 rebounds per game for the Ponies, who were eliminated from the Region XIV Final last month by San Jacinto College.
Monarch said he expects Thomas to visit Dayton over one of the next two weekends in early May. Penn State and New Mexico State are also angling for official visits, but Thomas will only have one left after visiting Dayton.
What has complicated matters a bit have been the coaching changes at several of the schools courting Thomas. Penn State and Dayton were recruiting Thomas for a few months when coaching changes swept through both programs this spring.
The new staffs at both schools have made serious efforts to land Thomas, Monarch said, and it appears as though Dayton has drawn first blood by securing an official visit.
Earlier this month, rumors swirled that Monarch might be headed to Lamar University in a package deal that would include Thomas.
Monarch said that while he was approached about a vacancy on the Lamar staff this spring, he declined to do so and plans on remaining at Panola for the foreseeable future.
JUCO Junction will stay on top of Thomas' recruitment as the spring signing period nears a conclusion next month. Stay tuned!